Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Intensity

By Mama4Dukes

Chapter 06:

One month later…

Sam’s POV

Paul and Bella had generously sent Emily and me plane tickets to visit them in Phoenix. They had offered to fly the kids down as well, but we declined-opting to leave them with Jared and Kim for the week. We needed a break from them. In exchange, we were taking their brood of five next week when they fly into Phoenix.

Paul had picked us up at the airport and we had just pulled into the garage. Christ Almighty! Their garage was bigger than our house. Emily looked just as stunned as I was.

“So, this is it. This is our house.” Paul led us into what was to be Emily’s and my room for the week. He had just taken us on a tour of their monstrosity. There was a bathroom with a Jacuzzi connected to our bedroom. “You two are breaking this room in. No one has stayed here before. Come downstairs after you get settled, we’re going out to dinner. Bella is at the hospital delivering a baby so she won’t be home for a few hours yet.”

After an awesome dinner at an Italian restaurant, we came back to Paul’s house and sat on the deck with beers. Bella still wasn’t home yet.

“So, I have a proposition for you two.”

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“How do Emily and you feel about moving to Arizona?”

“Why?” Please say you found me a job. Please say you found me a job. I’ll even take a temporary job at this point. Anything.

“My company has just entered into a contract with the state of Arizona to rework the highway system. I’m hiring at least a hundred new permanent employees plus two thousand temporary laborers. I need construction workers, especially. I’ll be hiring permanent salaried workers and temporary workers just for this project. What do you say?”

“What about me? I have a steady job at the health clinic in La Push.” Emily stated.

“How much do you get paid?” Paul asked.

“Eleven dollars an hour.”

“You do realize that on average, medical assistants with ten years experience make upwards of thirty-five thousand dollars a year, right? You’re being grossly underpaid. Bella has tons of connections in the medical field. She can find you a job in a snap or you can just do it on your own. They’re always looking for experienced medical assistants-especially in the hospitals.”

“I didn’t realize I was being so underpaid,” Emily said, shocked.

“If I were to take you up on your offer, when would I begin and how much would I be paid?” Please say fifteen bucks an hour, please? That equals six hundred bucks a week and it can really go a long way.

“I know you’re a hard worker Sam and honest, too. You’re also experienced. You have over ten years in this industry under your belt. With that, I’ll say that the pay depends on whether you want to be a temporary worker or a permanent employee. Personally, I’d like to hire you on a permanent basis.”

“Well, what’s the difference in pay?” I asked.

“Temporary workers make sixteen bucks an hour-regardless of experience. If I were to hire you permanently, based on your experience, I’d start you at twelve hundred bucks a week plus a benefits package.”

My jaw dropped. When he said, sixteen bucks an hour, I was ready to jump aboard, and then he said twelve hundred bucks a week plus benefits. Emily was wide-eyed and nodding her head at me furiously to take the offer. With over sixty-two thousand dollars a year, we’d be comfortable for the first time and with Emily working too, we might even be able to send Sammy and Emma to college.

“Paul, I don’t know what to say. I’m so grateful-thank you. When do you need me to start?”

“Well, the highway reconstruction begins in January, but that’s eight months away. I’d like to start you in September if it’s okay. I need you to become familiar with how I like things done. I have another job for you, well two really, between now and September-this one is strictly personal and under the table. I’ll hook you up with ten thousand bucks to get you through until September and I’ll pay for your moving costs.”

Shit I’ll do anything at this point. Emily and I were living on the fringes, and we qualified for food stamps even with Emily working.

“What do you need me to do?”

“I want to hire Jared, too, but I can’t because he doesn’t have a high school diploma or at least a GED. Unlike other companies, I have a strict rule that you have to have at least a GED in order to work for my company. I need you to help him earn his GED before August. That gives him four months. I’ll convince him to do it when Kim and he come here to visit next week. In fact, I’ll convince them both. I just need you to make sure he stays on the ball so he gets that GED. I’ll pay for the program for both of them. If necessary, have Jess and Rachel help. He has five kids, for God’s sake-he needs this more than anyone.”

“I agree and by September, he’ll have another one. Kim’s pregnant again.”

“I know, I heard the second heartbeat when we were at Disney in December.”

“Your hearing was always sharper than everyone else’s. So, what’s the second job you have for me?”

“What do you know about Tony Fuller?”

“I know that he’s the scum of the earth and that he, Jake, and Old Man Quil are making life hell for Embry and Jess. Why?”

“Last month, the three of them showed up at my house unannounced and forced their way in when Bella was home alone. When I got there, Fuller was trying to get a look at Bella’s imprinting mark. He didn’t get a chance to look at it because I pinned the fucker to the wall. Then, he tried to order Jake to go to Bella to take a look at her neck When Jake moved towards Bella, I asked him what he would do to me if I touched Angela without permission. Anyway, push came to shove and Bella ended up calling the cops on them.”

I was pissed off. How dare they threaten Bella, and for Jake to even move to touch her? No, it was simply unacceptable. I’m glad they got married off of the reservation. It was easier that way. Emily and I got married on the Makah Reservation and she gave birth to our babies in the clinic there. Technically, we were now members of the Makah Indian Nation-that’s why I had no claim over the tribal council, even if my father is one of the elders. I was completely fine with that though.

“Are you fucking with me?” Emily blurted, incredulously. I had never seen her so livid in my life. “I am so sick of those jerks! Fuller is the main culprit. He has Jake, Collin, Linda, and Angela wrapped around his thorny finger. Old Man Quil is just-well, old and obstinate. They’re more focused on the fact that you guys are wolves rather than trying to make improvements to the reservation. If Bella and you ever come back to visit, I’ll take you to the Makah Reservation where I’m from. Though the conditions there are not much better with a fifty percent unemployment rate at most times, the tribal council is constantly working on ways to better the lives of their residents. As a result, the high school dropout rate is next to nothing, there’s less drug and alcohol addiction, and less preventable diseases on the reservation.”

“They should try to improve the reservation. A buddy of mine is from the Wa-Ya Indian Nation here in Arizona, they only have a four percent unemployment rate which is less than the statewide percentage rate of ten.”

I shook my head in disbelief at hearing that. “Four percent? How? What’s the population?”

“Sustainable farming and a casino,” Paul explained. “The population is around seven hundred, about the same as in La Push.”

“Can we visit the reservation? I’d like to see one with only a four percent unemployment rate.”

“Sure, we’ll have my friend, Crispy, take us on a tour.”

“That’ll be great. Hey, so you need me to keep Jared focused, what’s the second job you have for me? Do you need me to keep my eyes and ears open for ya on the res? I imagine after the cops were called on Jake and the elders, shit’s going to go down between the council and you.”

“Exactly, I’ll have Jared do the same. Quil, Rachel, Embry, and Jess have actually been a great help,” Paul said.

“Yeah, they’ve been stirring things up with the council. They fired Jess for no good reason whatsoever. She was actually the most popular teacher there, and her students did well on standardized tests. Rachel became pissed off and quit. The school just lost two of their best teachers.”

“Damn! I didn’t know Rachel quit. That’s messed up.”

“I’m telling you, things are unstable on the reservation. It’s best you stay away.”

Emily then spoke, “Where’s Bella? It’s already midnight, shouldn’t she be home by now?”

“Huh, she is kind of late. I’ll text her to see what’s up.”

We chatted for about twenty minutes more when a text from Bella came in saying that for some reason everyone decided to give birth that night and the hospital requested that she stay to help. I looked out of the window and saw the full moon. Well, that explained it. Funny stuff always happens when there’s a full moon.

It was six pm the following evening, Emily and I spent the day hanging out at Paul and Bella’s while they worked. The place was like a resort. They had a tennis court, a swimming pool, a hot tub, and all of the bathrooms were fitted with jacuzzis and spa showers. We spent the day relaxing and making love. It was great, there were no kids bothering us, and it was just the two of us in this empty house. Emily started on dinner because it was the least we could do for our friends.

“Sounds like Bella is home,” Paul said. When she didn’t come in for a half an hour, we became concerned and went to check in the garage for her. The poor girl was completely tuckered out and sleeping with her head on the steering wheel of her little Volkswagen Beetle. Paul got her out, carried her upstairs, and put her to bed. “She probably pulled an all-nighter at the hospital and went straight to work in the morning.”

“At least hospital scrubs are comfortable.” Emily served dinner for the three of us. She made her delicious lemon chicken dish with roasted potatoes and glazed carrots. “You don’t think Bella would mind that I raided her fridge, do you?”

“Are you kidding? She’d welcome it. She’s always bitching about how I buy more groceries than we need. Seriously, make yourself at home and feel free to raid the kitchen. I won’t complain if you made some of your famous cornbread and banana muffins either.”

“I think that’s a hint, hon,” I said to my wife.

“Okay, but only because you asked so nicely.” Emily pecked Paul on his cheek.

We finally saw Bella the following morning as she was heading out to work. “How would you like to make three hundred bucks today, Emily?”

“How?” my wife asked, her eyes bulging at the amount being offered.

“Both of our medical assistants apparently called out sick so when I mentioned to Dr. Blanchard that my houseguest is a medical assistant with ten years of experience, he offered three hundred dollars under the table, which is double market value, if you’d come in and help. I can understand if you don’t want to because you’re on vacation so it’s up to you.”

Holy shit. That’s almost what Emily makes in a week. What luck.

“Are you kidding? I’m in.”

“Okay, you can wear a set of my scrubs. I’ve got tons.”

“I’ll take Sam to work with me so he can observe a little of what I do,” Paul said. “I’m only working until lunch and then after that, it’s just you and me. We’ll have lunch while our wives are at work.”

An hour later, I was sitting with Paul in his office-which was also bigger than my house, going over some blueprints of his plans for the highway restoration. It was going to be a huge job.

“Do you have experience working with roads?” Paul asked.

“Yeah, actually I do. Jared, Brady, and I were part of the highway reconstruction crew in Spokane a couple of years ago. That was a good year. The three of us couldn’t really afford an apartment out there with all of the mouths we had to feed so we phased at night and slept in St. Joe National Forest as wolves.”

“Oh, I know what that’s like. When I was in college, I didn’t have an apartment for the first year so I had to phase at night and sleep in the forest-I usually ate there, too. I worked construction during the summers so I made money then and combined it with my part time job during the school year so I could rent an apartment along with three other guys.”

“What did you do for a part time job?”

“Um, Starbucks.”

I started rolling in laughter. I couldn’t picture Paul wearing a green apron behind a Starbucks counter serving up coffee.

“Hey, wasn’t this morning’s coffee good?”

“Actually, yeah-it was good. It was really good.”

“I rest my case. I learned a valuable skill as a barista. I can now brew coffee like a pro, and my wife has made me sole caretaker of the coffee.”

Later that evening, we met up with our wives and went out for dinner at a Brazilian churrascaria. Man, oh man, it was good. Servers carrying meat on a skewer would walk up to your table and slice off pieces of different types of meat for you. Bella and Emily got drunk drinking a cocktail called Caipirinha. I had to carry Emily out of the restaurant in the end. It was really nice to see her let her inhibitions go-I had to admit. The next morning was Friday and Paul had taken the day off. Emily was asked to come back with Bella for another three hundred bucks so she gladly went, hangover and all. At least she wouldn’t be missing out on a paycheck for a week.

Paul and I hit the gym, which I vow never to do with him again, and then met his friend Crispy for lunch. I couldn’t believe the guy was some big league lawyer. He was completely down to earth and even took Paul and me for a tour of the Wa-Ya Indian Reserve. The reservation was a well-oiled machine. Compared to La Push, they were completely organized. The police and fire trucks were new, and the stations were fully staffed. The health clinic was pristine and they had three full time doctors as well as nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and medical assistants on staff. The tribal council headquarters was in good shape, too.

Crispy asked us what La Push was like. So we explained the issues we had with the infrastructure and the outrageously high level of unemployment on the reservation. Apparently, Crispy does some work for his tribe with the American Indian Policy Center and the Bureau of Indian Affairs so he was very interested in learning about conditions in La Push. I told him I’d get him in touch with Quil and Rachel. I could almost guarantee our tribal council stays as far away as possible from the AIPC and the BIA.

After lunch, we went back to Paul’s house and chatted for a bit until our wives got home.

“I love Fridays,” Bella noted. “I had such a long week. I delivered eighteen babies, and most of the mothers weren’t even my patients. It was that damned full moon.”

Emily had a huge smile on her face and suddenly announced, “I got a job!”

“Really, how? Where?”

I’m working at the office Bella works at beginning September 1st. The doctor liked my work so much that he hired me. They’re expanding then.”

“How much are you getting paid?”

“Are you ready for this? Seven hundred dollars a week, salary, which is way better than the four hundred dollars I was getting at the clinic.”

Wow! Between the two of us, we’d be pulling in nineteen hundred a week-which brought a different question to mind. “Paul, once we move out here, where are we supposed to live?”

“Good point. A three bedroom apartment runs around twelve hundred dollars a month. I know you live rent free on the reservation, but I think your pay will more than make up the difference.”

“I agree. Holy shit! Paul, Bella-thanks for everything. I finally feel as if things are looking up.”

Jared’s POV

We met Sam and Emily at the airport and handed over our van key, their kids, and our kids before flying down to Phoenix. We were now sitting with Paul and Bella in their house. No, this wasn’t a house; it was a fucking resort. They were living in the lap of luxury. They both worked hard, though, really hard. If I had a job, I’d work hard, too.

“Oh, Bella, here. These are from Sammy, Ryan, Number Six, and Jake’s son Will.” I handed her their school photos.

“Thank you.”

“Uh, turn the photos over and read the backs.”

“Okay, let’s see. ‘To My CILF. I’m smiling for you, baby. Yours Forever, Ryan.’ Hmm? Tell him, thank you.”

“What’s a CILF?” Paul asked.

“Cougar I’d like to fuck,” I answered. Bella and he started rolling with laughter.

Bella continued, “This next one is from Sammy. ‘My Dearest Bella, I get my license in two years and three months. Love, Sammy.’ Aw… that’s kind of cute. The next one says, ‘ You are the woman of my dreams. I’d like to make lots of babies with you. Your future husband, Quil Ateara the Sixth. P.S. Just call me Number Six.’ Have I even met him?”

“No, but he saw you at Disney that one time, and claims he fell in love at first sight. Plus, he’s always with Ryan and Sammy and they can’t stop talking about you. On top of that, Quil and Eric keep talking about your rack.”

“Here’s the last one, ‘Dear Mrs. Lahote, I think you are beautiful. I am in the seventh grade. I’m short now, but I will be taller in the future because my dad and grandpa are tall. Love, William Black.’ I’m assuming this is Jake’s son? How did he get a picture of himself to you?”

“Your dad actually brought it to us. Will spends a lot of time with Billy, Charlie, Seth, and Quil. He’s a really good kid. He doesn’t take after his parents at all. They’re both too busy to look after their kids. Jake has his auto repair business and Angela is a secretary at the Tribal Headquarters.”

“Wow, Bella. It looks like you have a legion of fans, what are you going to do about them? I feel threatened,” Paul joked.

“I’m going to buy each of them an Arizona Diamondbacks jersey and cap. They went to a lot of effort, after all. Alright, boys. I’m starved-get to cooking, the steaks are in the outdoor fridge. Kim and I will take care of the side dishes.”

“Jared doesn’t know how to grill, Bella.”

“Oh, he will by the end of the week. I can promise you that,” Bella smirked at me. Kim looked excited. Paul’s wife seemed so nice in California, but now I’m not so sure, especially since she has me cooking.

“Paul, how often do you grill?” I asked.

“About three times a week. I usually grill on the days I get home before Bella. She does all of the side dishes though.”

“Hey are we doing up those double porterhouse steaks?” I asked.

“These look like New York Sirloin to me. We’re definitely hitting Morton’s while you guys are here, though. They have one in Phoenix and one in Scottsdale. I like the one in Scottsdale better so we’ll go to that one.”

“Oh, good. I can’t get the taste of that steak out of my mind.”

We grilled up the meat, sat down for dinner, and before I knew it-we were having beer by the pool. Bella had cut up some fresh fruit, and squeezed some fresh orange juice for Kim who was expecting our sixth child.

“Okay, guys, Bella and I want to talk to you,” Paul said, seriously.

“About what?”

“About the fact that you’re having baby number six, and don’t have your high school diplomas.”

Well, that just plain pissed me off. Who the hell were they to judge? I’ve heard this spiel many times from many people. I just thought that Paul and Bella were above that.

“We’re good,” I stated, scowling at him.

Paul folded his arms in front of his chest and looked into my eyes seriously. “No, you’re not. Listen to me, Jared; we know you can’t help the fact that you didn’t graduate from high school. You had your kids young and had to get a job to support them. We’re not judging you-we would never do that. My mom had me at seventeen, Bella’s mom had her when she was eighteen, and they did a shitty job raising us compared to you two. We just want to make life easier for you.”

“How the fuck do you expect to do that? I’m dumb as shit, poor as dirt, and there are no jobs in the area. Short of winning the lottery, there’s really no hope for us.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, man. If you’re willing to move to Phoenix, I’ll hire you. I entered into a contract with the state and my company is restoring the highways throughout the state. I need, at minimum, a hundred new permanent employees and two thousand temporary ones for this to work, especially construction workers.”

I thought about if for a second, it was a nice offer, but I couldn’t accept it. Kim and my family were all in La Push. My kids’ friends were all there, and I couldn’t picture us living anywhere but the reservation. Sam, Emily, Kim, and I would get through this slump together-we always do.

I was about to decline when Kim spoke, “How long would the job be for and how much would it pay?”

“Well, it would be a permanent salaried position so even after the highway project ends, he would still have a job. Since he has ten years construction experience behind him, I’d start him at twelve hundred dollars a week plus a benefits package including health coverage, 401K, a flexible spending package, and two weeks paid vacation. He’d also get paid on federal holidays-which he’ll have off, and we close during Thanksgiving weekend and the week between Christmas and New Years. He’s paid during those days, of course.”

Did he fucking say a twelve hundred bucks a week plus a whole bunch of other shit? I’ve never had benefits before. I think Paul’s gone off his rocker. This is not normal.

“Paul, you don’t have to do all of that for me. I know I’m your friend and all, and I appreciate it, but it’s too much of a sacrifice on your part.”

“That’s the thing, Jared. I’m not making any sort of sacrifice for you. This is what I’d pay anyone I’d hire with your qualifications. Temporary workers make sixteen bucks an hour straight. A permanent salaried employee with one to three years of experience would start at roughly seven hundred bucks a week. I’m paying you based on experience.”

“Yeah, but what about the benefits package?” I asked.

“All permanent employees have the option to participate in the benefits package. It’s like that with most big companies.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never been offered a benefits package, and neither has Kim.”

“Okay, if you were to go to, say, Walmart and apply for a job there-you’d sit in a room with the human resources coordinator and he or she would explain your benefits package to you. You would then pick and choose which benefits you want to participate in. For example, Bella has health insurance available at her job, but she doesn’t buy into it because I provide it for her through my benefits package. She does, however, participate in the 401K plan because her employer matches her contribution for her.”

“Wait a minute, so does the health insurance cover both Kim and me?” I asked.

“It’ll cover Kim, the kids, and you. It’s called a family plan.”

Wow. I’m kind of blown away. I still have to think about it, though. Moving all the way to Arizona was a huge deal.

“I have to think about it, Paul. It’s a big step to move all the…”

“He’ll do it,” Kim interrupted.

“Babe, I…”

“No, buts, Jared! I’m sick and tired of being poor. I can’t stand it anymore. It’s not fair to the kids and we have another one on the way! I hate my life! I hate it! I hate it!” Kim started crying. I moved to comfort her, but she ran to Bella instead. I couldn’t stand it when my imprint was upset. It really hurt me physically. I thought she was happy with our life on the reservation. I guess I was wrong.

“I’ll do it,” I told Paul.

“Good, now let me tell you about the catch.” Damn it, I knew it was too good to be true. “All you have to do is earn your GED-preferably by September and by December at the latest.”

“My GED? I can’t do that. I didn’t do well in high school, you know that.”

“Yes, you can!” Paul insisted. “You did better than I did in high school. You were the one who helped me through all of those English classes.”

Come to think of it, I did do better than he did. “How the hell did you get through college? You’re a real stupid fuck.”

“Determination.”

“He’ll do it. I’ll make sure he does it,” Kim stated with a new fervor in her eyes.

“Oh, it’s not just him who has to do it. You do, too. I won’t hire him unless you earn your GED, too, Kim. I know you can do it because you used to get straight A’s in high school.”

“Why me, though?”

“You have to earn your GED to prove that you can accomplish something to your kids and to yourself. Remember that to your kids, you’re their primary role model. They learn by watching you. If you don’t at least earn your GED, your kids will think it’s okay to drop out of high school. You don’t want that to happen, do you?” Bella asked.

“No, no! I want my kids to have a life. I don’t want them to get married and have kids so young. I want them to be like you and Paul. I’ll do it and so will Jared. We’ll earn our GEDs before September. In fact, we’ll earn it before the baby comes in August.”

“I know you can do it.”

“Excellent! So, here’s the deal. I’ll pay for your GED course. It’s done online. I’ll hook you up with a laptop, Internet connection, and also give you ten thousand dollars to tie you over until September. On top of that, I’ll take care of your relocation costs.”

“Paul, that’s too much, it’s…”

“It’s what friends do.”

“Thank you.” My wife ran into Paul’s arms with tears in her eyes. He held her for the longest time until she was all cried out. She then ran into my arms with the hugest grin on her face.

“So where do we live?” I asked.

“Well, Bella owns a house that she’s renting out right now. The current residents are vacating it at the end of June. We thought we’d offer it to you guys for five hundred bucks a month.”

“Alright, come on. Even I know that you can’t rent a house for five hundred bucks a month.”

“True, but we want to give you guys a chance to get on your feet. On top of that, you’re going to have six mouths to feed soon.”

“Thanks, guys. I really appreciate everything you’re doing for us. I know I’m in no position to ask, especially with all you’ve just done for us, but I’m wondering if there is something you can do for Sam and Brady.”

“Sam and Emily are moving here in September. I’ll have to see about Brady. What can you tell me about him? I remember him being the last one of us to phase. He was only in middle school, right?”

“He’s a good kid. You had already left for college when he imprinted. Unfortunately, he was only fourteen when he imprinted on one of his classmates, Missy. She’s Sam’s first cousin. She became pregnant right away and by the time they were fifteen, they had their first baby. They managed to finish high school, though. Her mother insisted and even watched the baby for them so they could finish school. When they graduated, they already had two kids-now they have four. Sam and I have been guiding Brady ever since Collin and he had it out. Brady wanted to leave La Push with his imprint and kids to try to find a job, but Collin and Jake informed Tony Fuller of Brady’s plans, and they were given a tribal order to remain in La Push.”

Paul was growling. He looked fierce and pissed off and so did Bella. “They can’t order anyone to stay in La Push unless they’ve committed a crime. Even then, they’re limited to six months in the La Push jail. Choosing to leave La Push to better their lives isn’t a crime.”

“None of us knew that, and Brady wasn’t held in jail. He still lives in Missy’s parents’ house with her and their kids.”

“We’ll figure this out. How is he as a construction worker?”

“He’s good. He’s new to it, though. Sam and I brought him with us when we worked on the highway in Spokane so he has about nine months of experience. None of us have worked since then except for odd jobs around Forks and La Push.”

“How long ago was Spokane?”

“About two years ago,” I sighed.

“Are you telling me that you guys have been unemployed for two years? I wish you would have said something. I’m always looking for hard workers. Does Brady do drugs? I’m sorry, I have to ask.”

“No, he hardly even drinks. He’s a really good kid, which is amazing considering his father is a dick. His little brothers are all pieces of shit, too.”

“I know, Fuller came over with Old Man Quil and Jake, and tried to order me back to La Push. They forced their way into our house when I wasn’t home and threatened Bella.”

Now, I was growling. That pissed me off! I started shaking uncontrollably. I could vaguely hear Paul telling me to calm down as I backed away from the table. I can’t believe they… oh shit… I… I phased. Paul phased, too, and stood in front of our imprints to block them. Kim, who was more used to this than Bella, took her hand and led her into the house. Paul, then, started talking to me in wolf form. “Don’t worry, I’m working with a lawyer. We’ll all get through this. I just need you to keep your eyes and ears open for me. Sam’s doing the same.”

“ Show me the memory of what they did to Bella and you,” I demanded.

He did, and I became even more pissed off. The two of us took off for a run through the Arizona desert. No one else was in their wolf form right now. Most of us simply didn’t phase anymore. The last time I phased was two years ago with Sam and Brady, but that was only so we could sleep as wolves in the forest while we were working in Spokane.

After I was calm, Paul asked me a question. “Hey, man, I’ve got to ask you something.”

“ Go ahead.”

“ Is it true you’ve marked Kim more than once?”

“ Yeah, the information that we were given on marking was wrong. You know how I like to read, right? Well, I got bored a few years back and started reading everything in the archives. The elders were proud because they thought that I was taking a greater role in maintaining tribal traditions. The truth is I had run out of stuff to read. Anyway, the mark solidifies the intertwining of our souls. It’s only done during the peak of passion and it’s definitely done repeatedly. Why? Did you mark Bella?”

“ I did, on our first night together-less than twenty-four hours after I imprinted on her.”

“ Holy shit. I read about this, too. It was in the books of a shaman. This has only happened once before-they say that the wolf who marks his imprint during the first claiming is a true spirit warrior and the rightful Alpha of the pack. They call him the Great Protector. The spirit warrior will go on a lone journey to find balance in his soul and will return with great strength of mind, and an imprint he marked off of tribal lands. His arrival will come during a time of great tribal turmoil, but he is there to bring unity and stability back to the Quileute people. He will cause a great divide with his free-thinking. His imprint has the same inner strength as he does. While she does not have the ability to shift, she has the ability to heal. Together they will heal the Quileute Nation and those wolves that follow him will achieve eternal salvation and become spirit warriors along with their Alpha. His imprint is the lost part of his soul and he is the most powerful and complete wolf of the pack.”

“ Wow! That’s some heavy stuff. Who was the other wolf who marked his imprint on the first go?”

“ Taha Aki. His third wife was his imprint.”

“ Shouldn’t he have died when she died, then?”

“ His soul died that day, but he was determined to keep his people safe. I think you’re good, though, because it said that the Great Protector will have an even stronger bond with his mate than Taha Aki and his third wife did because his imprint will have a great understanding and a prior knowledge of the ways of our world. That part led me to believe that whoever the imprint of the Great Protector was wouldn’t be from our tribe. Anyway, it said he will watch over his tribe from a distance forever more with his imprint by his side.”

“ Holy shit, Jared, when I imprinted on Bella-she knew the moment it happened.” Paul showed me his memory of the moment. It was funny as hell.

“ That has to be the funniest imprinting I’ve ever seen. Most of us stare dumbly at each other, hold hands, and pledge our eternal love to each other. Your imprint actually chastised you for imprinting on her, and then scared the shit out of you and made you run.”

“ I know, right. That’s Bella for you.”

I saw another memory running through his brain. “Let’s run back to your house and phase back to human form. Can you make me some coffee tomorrow morning? You look good in green.”

“ What am I your slave? Sure. Do you want espresso, cappuccino, a latte, a mocha, a caramel macchiato, or Americano.”

“ What?”

“ I just want coffee, dude. What’s all that other shit?”

Paul ran through another memory for me-this time showing me how all of the different coffees are made. “I’ll take a caramel macchiato.”

“ Yeah, that’s Sam’s favorite, too.”

We phased back to human form when we reached Paul’s house. Our imprints were fast asleep. No wonder, it was already two am. “Remember, dude, I want my caramel macchiato in the morning,” I reminded Paul as we loped off to our rooms.

Kim was sleeping contentedly so I wordlessly turned the tub on and climbed inside, letting the jacuzzi jets soothe my tired muscles. I thought about everything that happened tonight. Paul’s offer was generous and it would get my family out of poverty for the first time. Now, that I was pretty sure that Paul was the true spirit warrior and the rightful Alpha of the pack-therefore the Great Protector, I planned on following his advice to the end. I think he was still wary of what I told him, but I, for one, believed it and vowed right then and there that Paul is my Alpha. I’ll have to let Sam and Brady in on what I learned so they can affirm that Paul is their Alpha, too. Ha ha. It’s going to be funny if Jake tries to Alpha order us again. He won’t be able to. I think I’ll tell Quil, Embry, and Seth, too. I suppose I should tell Leah as well. She hates Jake and hasn’t been that bad ever since she imprinted on Eric. The more wolves on our side, the better it would be for us. All I knew was that change was coming to the people of La Push and Paul was the key.